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Friday, January 27

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Tales from the Steppes


2006-01-30

8:12 a.m.
Monday, January 30

We went to see "Nanny McPhee" over the weekend - a good movie, but not a great one. We had extras with us as always. Charlie, the MM's soulmate since they were 3, and Orlan, a male friend (not boyfriend) of the EM both came to dinner and a movie with all of us. We had to take two cars because we were coming from several directions and there were so many of us. On the way home, I drove the younger males while the SU and EM took Orlan home. Somewhat predictably, I got to listen to Nanny McPhee became Nanny McFifi, Nanny McPee, Nanny McPoo, and, of course, Nanny McFart. I am sure Nanny McPhee sounded like a perfectly innocent and appropriate name to the developers of the movie but they probably do not spend much time in the company of little boys. Perhaps this is also why the movie was only good and not great.

And while I am on that subject, let me air a particular pet peeve. I am sick of listening to adults complain when a children's movie or book is not up to their standards. Or when children act like children in a children's movie. Harry Potter is a child's book that adults read. The movies should be suitable for the books' intended audience and perhaps not as scary as the adults might prefer. I am completely ok with having things thrown into a movie for the adults in the audience but the children need to be the main focus. I loved "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe". My children - it was ok. They have not asked to see it again. I think the movie was clearly aimed at either teenagers or adults who read the books as children and remember them fondly. The whole concept of someone being a traitor, when in fact the situation was morally ambiguous, is one that rightfully goes over most kids heads. Some might say that it was not intended for children. This may be but it was certainly marketed to them. From a child's standpoint, "Hoodwinked" was a better movie and certainly either of the "Shrek"s hit the mark better. I think you can go too far though. I actually fell asleep in a movie over the summer because there was nothing in it for adults.

One of the things we did while out that evening was go to Borders to get the YM his special book. I have made a deal with each child that as soon as they can count to 100 with no mistakes and not looking at anything, I will buy them any book in the store. As long as there is no toy associated with it. So the YM finally made the goal and it was time for me to pony up. I was really hopeful that he would pick out something better than his siblings did when they were given the chance - maybe a big art book or beautifully illustrated story. Nope. His first choice was a photographic history of the USMC. Very strange. But then he decided he wanted a chapter book like his brother and sister read. I tried to explain that perhaps his reading skills were not quite up to this but he would not listen. He insisted on a copy of Peter Pan that had a necklace associated with it. I tried to tell him that we had a copy of Peter Pan, or at least I think we do - we seem to have copies of most classics. No dice, he had made up his mind and that was it. So tonight, he will put aside Green Eggs and Ham for Peter Pan and we will see how he does.

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